Chinese users of AI companions bereft after government tightens regulations

Chinese users of AI companion services are mourning the loss of their virtual partners after major tech companies shut down the platforms to comply with new government regulations that took effect July 15. The rules ban AI platforms from generating content that could manipulate users' feelings or trigger extreme emotions and unhealthy habits in children and teens. ByteDance, Alibaba and Tencent are among the companies that have pulled their AI companion services. The regulations also require platforms to deliver risk warnings against relying excessively on such apps, including using them as a substitute for in-person social interaction. Li Linlin, a 24-year-old user, said she exchanged about 700,000 words with her AI boyfriend over two years and never got to say goodbye. "It was like we were forced to be separated by our parents, but I still miss him," Li said. Experts said the regulations reflect a paternalistic approach to pre-empt potential problems. Yolanda Ma, a fellow with ERA, a non-profit talent and research program based in Britain, said the rules tried to strike a balance between service providers, users and guardians of minors. She referred to cases of suicides in the U.S. by young people after interacting with AI companions as a factor. Angela Zhang, a professor of law at the University of Southern California, said the Chinese government has a strong incentive to tighten regulations considering psychological risks observed in the U.S. The shutdowns have provoked a flood of complaints on social media. Some users have uninstalled apps in protest or tried to upload chat histories into other apps to resurrect their virtual partners. Song Wenxin, a 22-year-old video industry designer in Chengdu, said she empathizes with those who were emotionally attached. She echoed suspicions that one factor driving the rules is a government policy encouraging people to have more children to counter a population decline. "Any virtual app getting women too engaged to give birth in real life gets banned," Song said.